The Charlottesville 29

If there were just 29 restaurants in Charlottesville, what would be the ideal 29?

Category: Five Finds on Friday

09/23/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Jahnavi Wraight

Not every chef has a muse, but Oakhart Social chef-owner Tristan Wraight’s sure seems to. Tristan’s wife Jahnavi is a vegetarian, and his vegetable dishes always seem especially inspired. Jahnavi herself has just opened La Vie en Rose, a salon she lured her friend Shana from Chicago to launch. Jahnavi and Shana share their salon’s Allied Street space with their friends’ boutique LOUISE, which offers ethically made and mostly women-owned fashion and home accessories. “We are all very excited to have this collaborative space to hopefully bring people together so we can create and support our community, especially about causes we find important,” said Jahnavi. “If you have any ideas for events, please get in touch with us.” Jahnavi’s picks:

1) Vietnamese Bún at Chimm. “I  could eat this every day, and actually do eat it every week. I wouldn’t be surprised if they recognized my name. It is delicious, can be made vegan, and is a wonderful fresh component to every takeout order.”

2) “Eriste” Pasta and Rom & Kola at Smyrna. “This new restaurant is amazing, so it was hard to choose, but this pasta dish is beautifully simple and satisfying, with asparagus and a poached egg to finish. The rom & kola is something I wouldn’t usually order but the housemade cola syrup is so good and gives a cherry cola taste without being too sweet.”

3) Summer Squash Pizza from Oakhart Social. “Duh, gotta shout out my husband and fave restaurant in town. But this pizza for real is truly something special, and will only be on the menu for another week or so. The combination of Appalachian cheeses, thinly sliced zucchini and squash with sunflower gremolata creates this beautifully dynamic flavor combination. Chef’s kiss.”

4) Ranch from Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie. “No need to explain. If you haven’t had it just go try it. They even sell it in massive jars, for nasty people like me who want to put ranch, especially this ranch, on everything. I’ll add a nod to the blue cheese as well from Dr. Ho’s as well because #buffalobills.”

5) Tres Leche Popsicle from La Flor Michoacana. “This little shop is amazing. I can’t speak to the food because I’m always so focused on the popsicles. It is a hidden treasure and I love trying a different one every time.”

04/15/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Emily Harpster

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come Emily Harpster, who has just launched Sugarbear –  made-from-scratch ice creams celebrating great local ingredients of Charlottesville. Buttermilk with Strawberry Jam, for example, swirls in jam from Jam According to Daniel, while Honey Sea Salt Latte draws on Lone Light Coffee and Hungry Hill Farm honey, and Vanilla Blueberry Stracciatella features shards of Gearharts Blueberry chocolate bars. Flavors change often, so check out what’s in the the freezer at MarieBette or order online for pick-up at MarieBette.

A graduate of UVa, as well as ice cream college at Penn State, Harpster’s Charlottesville culinary roots run deep, all the way back to the original Tokyo Rose, where she worked as an undergrad. After more than a decade on the west coast, she and her husband returned to Charlottesville “because we love it here,” says Harpster. “In many ways, my ice cream is a love letter to Charlottesville.” Harpster’s picks:

1) Everything Prezzant from MarieBette. “I spend a lot of time at Marie Bette, so I feel like I am a connoisseur of the MarieBette baked goods library. Honestly, the everything pretzel croissant (prezzant) cannot be beat. It cannot. It is a perfect creation. Also a perfect creation in the cupcake department: cupcakes by Tammy. Have you seen what she can do with frosting? She is basically a magician.”

2) Coconut Shrimp from PineappIes Thai Kitchen. “I’m sort of obsessed with everything Pineapples Thai does. We always have to put in a double order for their coconut shrimp.  They are light, perfectly crispy, and perfectly sweet.”

3) Golden Milk and Cocoa Macarons from Bowerbird Bakeshop. “Good macarons are not easy to pull off, and we have world class seasonal ones from Bowerbird? They are like pretty, colored, delicious jewels. They are one of my favorite presents to give.”

4) Blackberry and Apricot Jam from Jam According to Daniel. “I’ve had a lot of jam in my life, and I have never had jam as good as the jam that Jam According to Daniel makes. Ever. You can put it on anything.”

5) Double Smash Burger from Oakhart Social. “I love a good cheeseburger. Shout out to Oakhart, whose smash burgers got us through some of our hardest pandemic days. Unfortunately, our kids no longer consider other burgers acceptable.”

 

03/11/2022

Five Finds on Friday: Casandra Rodriguez

Today’s Five Finds on Friday come from Casandra Rodriguez of Vegan Comforts Soul Food, which opens this Sunday March 13, and will be open every Sunday and Monday to follow. Rodriguez has formerly served her vegan soul food at markets and pop-ups, and now has a temporary home at Royalty Coffee Sandwiches and Pastries on Cherry Avenue. A permanent venue is coming soon. Follow along for updates on Instagram. At Vegan Comforts, she’s particularly fond of the Vish Tacos, made from fried hearts of palm, as well as the “Slow Poke Rodriguez,” with Field Roast chorizo, simply egg scrambled in homemade salsa, topped with feta cheeze on a homemade buttermilk biscuit. Elsewhere in town, Rodriguez’s all-Vegan picks:

1) Pho and Crispy Rolls at Vu Noodles. “I get the crispy rolls just so I can dip them in the pho, and both together are so comforting, savory, and refreshingly delicious. I literally go here once or twice a week. Highly recommend.”

2) Portobello Philly at Firefly. “When I’m craving a Philly cheesesteak and don’t feel like cooking this is my go-to spot for it. It is so yummy.”

3) Creole Beans Platter at Pearl Island. “Wooo chile, this whole meal is the perfect combo. The creole beans are perfectly seasoned and the tostones with the sauce are to die for. Don’t get me started on the rice with the garlic kale. So so good.”

4) Won Ton Nachos at Botanical. “Ryan got me hooked on these nachos. They are so delicious. The cashew cheese sauce could pass for real cheese, first of all, and the toppings were so fresh and had the perfect crisp light touch. Def will be back for more.”

5) General Tso’s Cauliflower and Coconut Rice at Bang!. “Bring back the chickpea roll things, haha, no but seriously. My favorite dish from here right now is the General Tso’s cauliflower and the coconut rice. So comforting and filling.”

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